Fastening device



April 2, 1946.'

H. TAYLQR y2,397,889

FASTENING l DEVVICE l Filed May 31, 1945 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.-

Harry ZzJ/Zof' BY A TY'URAYEYJ April z, 194e. H, TAYLOR 2,397,889

FAs'ENING DEVICE Filed May 51, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

y "BY Har/y E15/Zo# Patented Apr. 2, 1946 Unirse sTATi-:s PATENT officeiFAST-ENING @DEVJCE ,Harry .-'Eaiyloli West Babylon, N. X.yApplicationl'iizty 31, 1943, iScritti] No. 489,1172

(C1. 2er-.221)

Thisinventlon relates to 'a lockingiorffastening devicetand ,re'fersmoreparticularlyito a devi-oefor attaching covers .or lpanels of fsheet:metal nr the like.

.An object othepresent invention is the provision .of `a .fasteneno'rclosure .device which can be lconvenientlyused forpanelshaving varyingthicknesses or extending at different Ldistances from Pearch other.

.Another object of the .present 'invention is '.the provision v`of .a.closure device of this 'type which may 511e ,inexpensivelymanufactured, which fis construction, .and `dilriible in operation,which will not weaken the structure *and which will not protrude to anyappreciable extent so as to cause 7air .resistance `Widener/ er the.device is used :in .connection `,with ein -airplane., automobilebodyior .other movable medhanism'.

Qther V.objects of the rpresent invention will become `apparent in ,thelcourse .df the following specication.

in4 accomplishing ,the oobjectsgo the present invention it was'foundrdesirable ;to ,provide alleai spring or :similar :resilient.member 4.which "is L1'tttached to .onepf '.thefplatesV and vtvvlio'hisprovided withssuitable stcpsand. .depresseder inclined ,p.ortionsadapted to-receiveeertain surfaces ,oflagkey which extend Lthrough`openings provided rin ,the spring and in the two plates.-".Theikeyihasone ormore:lookinggportionsprovided withjhelockingsurfaces. The locking ,portions .may lbe Lloceted one over theiotherlsothat anyenef the surf aces can be used to look the two plates,dependingiupon the thicknessesthereof .or .rtheir-operativedistanceseneiromthe other.

The inventionrwillenpeammoreclearly,tromthe following detaileddescription whenitaken 4inocennection 1with I the faccompanyingrarwings,showing, {by way of example,- Apreferreil .embodiments of the. inventive-idea.

`In the drawings:

Figure liissaffrontvewcofsailockingdevicecon structed .in-accordancem.with-.th eiilirinoiples of the present invention, lfsomewhet larger:than .the actuallsizeshowing thecollerplate and r.the base platelatchedftogether. y

,EigureifZi is resectionazioneitheilinex 2-2 of :Eigurel,.andshows{theskeylnothe position in *whichitisiaboutftoheturnedftodoekothedevice. l

AFigurefza sevctionlalonglthelinewtof.Eig-

ure,2. Y

.EigurelfLis e rear `.view.illustrating.the key inl. a lcckedposition.

'Eigure-larisiaiietailcd .viewshowing,theloeking Spring.

Figure l: ,lis .e @diagram illustrating a c lockingl device having aleaf spring of a somewhat different .form

Figure "5a Ais a section along the line 5--5 of Figure 5.

Figure '6 is a' front; vview 'of -a different rkey.

Figure '7 is assideviewof thekey shown-indimure 46.

:Figure r`8 shows -in section ye locking ldevice wherein fthekey-shovmin Figures and\'7is-used.

fFigurecQ is a"sectionalonglthe'line )Q -9 of 'Figure=8.

Thedevigce-shown injFiguresl'to 4a ofjt-he drawings vincludes a coverplate 6, carrying a lievi?, while the base; plate 8 Acarries 'alatching-leaf spring 9.

The cover plate l is dimpled 'or bent inwardly as indicated at Il), andis providedwithacentral opening 'I'I whichlcontains an vin'terxnediatteportion |'2 ,cfthekeyfl. o l ,y

"The portion I2 -o'f the keyis located between thehead 13,andtheshankNiQf thekey. The hea-d i3 :has conical n surfaces fittinginto the depressed 4portionofithe'plate#1i so that-the head t3 does not4 project beyond the outer surface of 'the plate S. The portion l1 2Qfthegkey'ismaintai-ned within the opening H through thegprovision o f acotterpin f5 which extends through the'gkey `and whichisjprovided withbent endslocated over'the edges ofthe lopenine'lil. B ythesepr .ot-liersuitable rneansth'e key :is heldiiirmlyin-the plate i.

"The shank L4 Lof 'thekeyJ'I vhas the form -of `a comparativelyelongated lelement, provided with longitudinal surfaces *i6 `and Il,which textend parallel to each other. In jthe'gexaniple 'illustrateuinFigures 2 and "the shank :I3 mason@ setgof'V locking ,surfacessituatedlhetween .jtheinner bcdy'portion 118 of the shank, randprojections t9 and "213; extending opposlteieahother. 'lheproiections.I9 and J0 jointly ,constitute a locking bal perpendicular to u'the`Shank [8. The. Shank portion 1 8 has `e ,surface 2| .which may fbesubstantially horizontal. Qn fthe .other ,."hand, thenrdiection1|,9'hasialower suriece 22 which is situated opposite thesliifeceg2I ,and.whichLis inclined toward this heed .1,3 inthedire.ctiorigiromvtheside.. surface 'L1towardthesidelsuraee 1,6.

frne oppositeside of the-key .,issmilarly .sconstructed. The projection10 heseninnen surface 23 which ,extends inwardly, namely, toward theheed TL3 in the tdirectionifrom-thesidesurface `L6 toward .the side,surface LTL mThe Ainner :shank portion L8 .has a surfacejzd which .is:locatedepnositethesurface ,2,3 ,andiwhich extends.. suhstantieliyetrieht nucglesto thevsidesurfaoes.Mend.l1.

"'IIvhe baseiplatef fhais an, inwardly ,beweerden aetadaptedto receiveitheportion J ytof fthe, cover plate C. The plate has an.opening33which. is located.substantiallyin alignment withttheropening Il of theplates. I hesshenkil4-ofgthe key 1 is adaptedtoextendfthroughrthe openingsipf theplate-.

Ilhelletchine spring finclndestthe :neinV portion 35, fprovidedvwithtra.tcezrtral opening 35 tthnoligh which the key 1 extends. Thespring includes 2- n A Y two S-shaped supporting portions or legs 36 and31 which are firmly riveted or otherwise conout of the material of thespring9.

1 'The spring 50 has two curved legs 1 terminating in portions 55 and 56respectively,

may lie over the plate 8.A

nected to the plate 8 at '38 and 39, respectively.

t The legs 36 and 31 are provided with semi-circular V3 recesses 6I and62, respectively, which facilitate the riveting operation.

VThe opening of the spring 9 may be some j what elongated in form so asto adapt itself to ,the outline of key I3. Depressed portions and 4Iextendjon opposite sides of the opening 35 and are adapted to receivethe surfaces 22 and 23 respectively, of the key. The diagonal halfportions 40d, Illa, containing the free-standing corners of i depressedportions 40, 4I, respectively, constitute separately functioning leaf,springs formed A stop 42is located close to the depressed portion 40,while a stop 43 is located Yclose to the depressed portion 4I. The stops42 and 43 are formed of upwardly curved portions of the slitted edgesenclosing the opening 35, and are resilient l like portions 40a and 4Ia, and are adapted jointly with the latter to wedge the locking bar I9,2u,

J tightly in locked position, whereas in priorart the equivalent of thelocking Vbar I9, 20, has

merely rested in a depression which exhibited no VWedging action. l

An upwardly inclined portion s3 is situated on the key 66 may be used tolock the plates 6 and 8 located at three different distances from eachother.

The key 66 has a head 61 which is conical in form, and a shank havingV asubstantially cylin- Y 69 and the projections 15 and k16.V Theselockingy surfaces include comparatively flat surfaces 11 and 13 constituting apart of the portion 69 andY extending substantially parallel to thevplate 6. Surfaces 19 and 89 are situated opposite` the surfaces 11.and18 upon the projections v15 and 16, respectively. The surfaces 19 and 80extend at acute angles to the surfaces 11 and 18. v

'I'he second set of locking surfaces is situated between projections 15and 16, on the one hand,

opposite side ofthe depression 40 from the stop 42. A similar upwardlyinclined portion 64 is provided on the opposite side of the depressionY4l from the stopl 43. kThese inclined portionsA rise graduallyfrom thelevel ofthe spring andY have a sharp drop facing their depressions. Thisarrangement improves' to a great extent the locking engagement of thedevice,

VIn operation, the .key1 is inserted into position as indicated inFigure 2 with the shank I4 extending through the openings 33 and 35.Then i the key 'may be turned by the insertion of a tool inthe slot '44,providedy in the head I3. Due to l the provision of the stops 42 and 43,the key may be turned only in one direction, namely, over the upwardlyinclined portions and into the depres-Y sions. The directionvof thelocking movement of t the key isindicated by the varrow 45 in Figure 4.

This locking movement is terminated when the Vkey strikes theprojections 42V and 43 and assumes l the position shown in Figure. 4,

In .the construction shown in VFigures 5 and 5a,

l the above described spring has been substituted and projections 8l and'82 on the other hand.

Projections 15 and 16 Vhave surfaces 83 and 84 extending substantiallyparallel to the surfaces 'I1- and 18. Projections 8I andr82 haveinclined surfaces 8'5 and 86 which may be parallel to the surfaces 19and 80. y The third set of locking surfaces is located betweenprojections 8I and 82, on the one hand, and the upper projections 81 and88 on the other hand. These surfaces consist of surfaces89 and 90carried by the projections 8l and 92, respectively, and inclinedsurfaces 9I and 92 upon the projectionsl and 88. Ariat surface 93lconstitutes the end surface of the key.

The spring 94 is `substantially similar to the spring 9 in constructionand V,operation and is attached in the same manner to the plate V8.However, in this construction the spring 9 has y no raised portionssimilar to the raised portions by aspringl 59 which has an upper portion5I proi vided with an opening 52 forthe insertion (of a i keyfwhich maybe similar to the key 1 and which is not shown'in the drawings.

s3 and V54,V

which extendparallel tothe portion 5I and which Thek spring 59 has twocurved legs 51 andV 58 which extend through the Vopening 65 of theopening.V The legs 51fand 58 have ends -59 and 69 bent over the edges ofthe opening 65. Due to the described arrangement, the spring 5l) isfirmly i mounted upon Vthe plate 8V without it being neces-V 3 sary touseany rivets orv other means attaching l plate, and which conform` tothe outline of the 63 amd64 ofthespring9. Y ,y

The spring 94 and the key 66 kcci-operate in the same mannerto lock theYplates 6 Yand y8; theY distance between these plates may bev determinedby intermediate` pieces 95,

It is apparent that the above illustrationsrare subject to widevariations and modifications within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: In a fastening device, a main portion, said` mainportion being formed withhra substantially central and elongated openingthrough which a key. is adapted lto extend,

said main portion furtherbeing formed on either side of said openingwith a depressed'portion, an upwardly inclined portion adjacent one sideof said depressed portion, said 4spring being vprovided with aYslitextending inwardly from said opening and constituting the oppositeside of said depressed portion, andan upwardly curved por- Y tionconstituting a stop on the opposite side of the spring to the plate. YIn casev of damage, theV removal of the spring 59, andits substitutionby a new spring, is considerably facilitated.

liiguresf to 9 show a construction wherein ai key 66 is providedwiththree sets of locking surfaces located one over the other, whereby anyone set may be'used for locking purposes, Thus said depressed portionfrom said upwardly inclined portion,vsaid depressed portion comprising adiagonal half portion comprisnga'free-standing corner, said diagonalhalf portion and said. upwardly curved portions each constitutingseparately functioning springy portions adapted jointly to wedge saidlocking bar in locked position. y HARRY TAYLOR.

a latching spring having Y

